


Only Fools Rush In

by mvernet



Series: Sentinel Thursday Prompt Fics [13]
Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Aftermath of a Case, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sentinel Thursday Prompt Banana, Tag To Episode Siege
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 20:08:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15493698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvernet/pseuds/mvernet
Summary: Daryl and Blair are coping with the aftermath of being held prisoner by Garrett Kincaid.Sentinel Thursday Live Journal prompt, banana.Inspired by the Elvis Presley song,I Can't Help Falling in Love With YouListen on Youtube, Pentatonix Cover,I Can’t Help Falling In Love With Youhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSkHIv7GhOM





	Only Fools Rush In

Blair hit print on Joel’s temporarily available office computer. He stretched and realized he was hungry. Finalizing his report on his part of The Sunshine Patriots take over of Major Crimes was done and he was worn out. He glanced at Jim, head bent, pen moving furiously, doing his own report old school style.

Blair leaned back, hands clasped behind his head. “Jim. Why the longhand method? You don’t type that slowly for an old guy.”

“Sandburg, give it a rest. I always add my private notes in longhand. For Simon’s eyes only. Get it, Einstein?” Jim raised his eyebrows and glared, willing Blair to understand. 

Blair dropped his hands, stood and bounced over to Jim’s desk all in one movement. “Ohhhhh. I get it. Secret stuff. My report is done too. I’m sure glad you were kidding about the Kincaid thing being an average day for you. You guys spend an awful lot of time stuck behind a desk.The mountain of paperwork a case generates is just as scary as the Sunshine Dicks. But I can handle it. I’m what you call resilient.”

Jim watched Blair springing up and down on his toes, his hands busy pounding his report on the desk to straighten it. “You okay, Chief? I mean you were in a pretty tight situation. You having any problems handling it?”

“Naaaaa, man. I’m used to handling tribal hostility. Put Kincaid in a loin cloth and hand him a spear and he could lead a inter-tribal confrontation. Same old, same old for an Anthropologist like me.”

Jim frowned at that. Sandburg looked young, innocent, and dorky. But he was a man of depth and experience. It was hard to remember that when hit with that certain pouty, big eyed look, like a pound puppy on speed. For all Blair’s bravado, Jim was still worried. He felt very protective towards the little hairy geek. Sandburg had somehow broken down his defences. He liked having him around. Missed him when he was gone. Worried about him constantly. He enjoyed his sense of humor, his sense of integrity and what the guy did to his senses in general. Blair’s scent was exotic yet wholesome, his touch calming yet exciting at the same time. Jim decided to keep both eyes on him for a while.

“Come on, Chief. Let’s get these reports to Simon and call this case history.”

Jim gathered his papers and headed for his Captain’s door with Blair right behind. It was slightly ajar inviting them in. Jim sniffed the air and spied a brown paper bad on Simon’s desk with a warning scribbled on it with a sharpie, Captain’s Lunch. Do. Not. Steal.

Jim twitched his nose like Samantha on Bewitched. “I smell bananas. Daryl made you lunch again, Simon?”

Simon looked up and pointed to the bag on his desk with his pen. “I love my boy, but he needs to stop being so nice to me. It’s damn unsettlin’ to see a tennager act with such… consideration.”

Blair had started salivating at the mention of bananas. He went to Simon’s desk, opened his lunch and snagged a prize. He sniffed the saran wrapped sandwich turning back an edge. “Yum. Peanut butter and sliced banana. Hey! If this was grilled in bacon fat it would be an Elvis special." Blair tossed a smile at Jim and the Captain.

“Help yourself, Sandburg. Don’t be shy,” he said sarcastically. Blair wasted no time stuffing the sandwich into his face, while doing an impression of Elvis singing;

“Wise men say only fools rush in...”

Jim shook his head at his partners antics and addressed his boss. “How’s Daryl doing?” 

Simon put down his pen with a sigh. “Aside from being a bit anxious and clingy, he’s doing okay. He calls me a lot and worries till I get home. His therapist says that’s normal. She works with a lot of young men who have witnessed or been a part of acts of violence. It’s sad, but pretty prevalent in our society. She said Daryl had a lot of support before, during and after the incident. That made a difference.”

Simon looked at Blair who was now fighting with a Juicy Juice box. “Don’t squeeze that when it’s full, junior.” Blair stuck out his tongue, stabbed the straw into the box forcefully and ended up taking a bath in sticky juice.

Jim and Simon laughed as Blair reached in the lunch bad for a napkin. He blotted his shirt and ignored them. “Whoops. Sorry Simon. I got your, Be safe, Dad, napkin love note all icky.”

Simon grabbed it out of his hand. “Give me that, smartass. I don’t know why Daryl idolizes you.”

It was Jim who spoke. “Daryl idolizes Sandburg?” Jim glanced at Blair and saw a shy smile forming on his face.

“Yeah. Daryl is always asking about him. According to him, Sandburg captured the bad guys single handed with his super human abilities while wearing a cape and tights.”

“Come on, Simon. He can’t think that. I was scared shitless!”

“Oh. He does. As soon as I get home he asks about you. Were you in today. Did you go out in the field with Jim. Did you get in any trouble. He really worries about you, Sandburg. When I tell his you stole my lunch he’s either going to kill you or start making you one.”

Blair stopped eating Simon’s pudding snack long enough to look up. “I don’t understand. I mean he’s got you to look up to. Why on earth would he think I’m a hero?”

Jim and Simon exchanged glances. Jim voiced what they both thought. “What you did was heroic, Chief. You kept your head. Took out a few soldiers, then distracted Kincaid enough that he left Daryl and the others alone. Of course a young boy would admire you and want to emulate you. He’s been around big intimidating gun toting cops his whole life. You showed him a man can be a man by using his brains instead of his brawn.”

Blair looked from one to the other of his colleagues, both were smiling at him with pride shining in their eyes. He clumsily put down Simon’s pudding cup on the desk, the used plastic spork fell to the floor. Blair mumbled a lame excuse and bolted for the door. Jim was on his feet in seconds following him. 

“Jim!” Simon called after him. “Try to get him to see Daryl’s therapist. It’ll be covered by the department. And… tell him how you feel about him. I don’t usually interfere with your choice of companionship, but this kid is special. I don’t want to know, I can’t know. But he deserves to know. Like Daryl, he needs an anchor. Someone to hold on to.”

Jim nodded once as if ready to execute a command. “Yes. Sir.”

Jim followed the scent of ripe bananas that was now the brightest note in the mix that made up Blair’s scent. He hadn’t left the building. Jim found him in the stairwell down one flight, staring out a small window on the landing.

“Chief? You okay?”

“I’m a fool.”

“What?”

“Like the Elvis song. Fools rush in. What am I doing here? This is insane! I can’t be your partner. Not the partner you need. I’m not tall or strong, I don’t carry a gun. I don’t even like confrontation. Like you said, I’m a neo-hippie, witch doctor, punk. I could just as easily gotten Daryl killed with my obfuscations. Simon wouldn’t be sharing his banana peanut butter sandwich or his life with me then and neither would you.”

Jim walked slowly down the stairs and stood behind Blair. He gently wrapped his arms around him. Blair stiffened then relaxed and leaned back, resting his head just below Jim’s chin. “You know Chief, there’s more to that Elvis song. Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you.”

“Jim?”

“Look, Blair. You’ve been so brave, I think I have to be too. I have feelings for you. If I had to hazard a guess at what they were, I’d say Elvis had it right. I can’t help falling in love with you. I don’t want to scare you away, if this is all too much for you to handle, we’ll call it quits. No harm, no foul. Simon wanted you to know, that Daryl’s therapist would be willing to see you, the department would cover it. I want you to know that I think you are courageous and the most beautiful person I have ever met. Thank you for giving me my life back. I hope we can still see each other now and then.”

Blair was silent for a moment, then started to sing in his best Elvis voice;

Shall I stay?

Would it be a sin

If I can’t help falling in love with you?

Like a river flows

Surely to the sea

Darlin’ so it goes

Somethings are meant to be.

Jim tightened his hold on his very own Elvis impersonator. He intended to never let go.


End file.
